PNG Path to Market participants at Business Council expo

2017-05-23T03:01:12Z

?Navigating the cycle ? creating the opportunity in challenging times?. That was the theme of the thirty-seventh annual conference of the Australia Papua New Guinea Business Council in Port Moresby last week.<!--more-->

More than 400 members of the council attended. PTI NZ, also a proud member, was represented by Trade Commissioner Michael Greenslade. Summing up the conference from the New Zealand perspective, Mr Greenslade said, ?Many New Zealand companies would have benefited by the long-term approach adopted by Australian industry.?

For Trade Commissioner Greenslade, one of the main highlights of the conference was the trade expo that featured some 30 companies. ?It was very pleasing to see that six of these were participants in PTI NZ?s Pacific Path to Market programme,? Mr Greenslade said. ?These small businesses were all exhibiting in the same space as some very big players from the heavy industry.?

All the six former Programme participants were from the food and beverage and creative sectors. ?It was good to be part of the extended Pacific Path to Market family at the expo and meet again after their participation at Pasifika,? Mr Greenslade said.

Sharlene Gawi, one of the exhibitors and former participant who attended Pasifika in March this year had already secured a sizable order from the Auckland War Memorial Museum Store for a shipment of bilum products from the PNG Bilum Promotion and Export Association, which Ms Gawi represents.

Among other former PTI Pacific Path to Market participants at the expo were Leanne Calder of Banz Kofi, Theresa Arek of Amruqa, Maxtone Haus Limited?s Ernestine Maxtone Graham and well known bilum craftswoman and promoter Florence Jaukae.

?The newly appointed New Zealand High Commissioner to PNG, Sue Mackwell met all the participants and was very impressed on how they presented themselves and their products at this professional event,? Mr Greenslade said.